"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

If the sermon on the mount is a summary of all Christian doctrine, the beatitudes are a summary of the Sermon on the mount. In the Sunday Readings for Jan. 30, 2011 then, if anywhere, we have the essence of the Gospel. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Online Sunday Bible Study sessions with your family, friends and church groups.

We call it the Sermon on the Mount, a mount is just a sort of small hill or hummock; just high enough so that Jesus could be heard by the assembled company. But we immediately recognise that it is meant to be a parallel with Moses when he came down the mountain with the tablets of stone on which were engraved the ten commandments.

The Beatitudes & Ten Commandments

There was Moses the fierce old man trying to hold his people together as a cohesive group. Here is Jesus who respects the individuality of each human being and who builds up his followers with extraordinary gentleness and patience.There were the tablets of the law, full of do's and don'ts and with the fear of punishment behind them. Here are the Beatitudes which bring untold blessings on those who are embraced by them.

Fr. Orlando Sapuay, M.S. goes on to explain that the ten commandments are basic rules of morality. But the beatitudes are a measure of how far beyond this the gospel calls us. The morality of the ten commandments is a morality that can be measured. The morality of the Beatitudes is harder to quantify; How poor in the spirit are you? How meek, gentle, merciful…?

To be a Christian therefore is not to be a follower of a set of rules, Fr. Alex McAllister points out. It is to be born again, to live a new life. It is to turn around and see things from a totally different perspective. The Beatitudes are a privileged glimpse at the world through the eyes of God. And its spinal cord is love. This is our love of God as well as belief in His love for us. And, Fr. James Gilhooley adds, this love also includes love of neighbor.

It is this challenge that sets Jesus’ moral teaching apart from others and gives it its unique character—and its real teeth. Fr. Ron Rolheiser isolates it for us. If the Gospel of Matthew, or perhaps the New Testament as a whole, gives us a litmus test for discipleship, this might be its one-line formulation: Can you love and forgive an enemy?

As the Church continues her pilgrim journey throughout history, we need a vision to sustain us and give us hope in the midst of our shadows, ambiguities and sins, our joys and hopes and victories. Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB says that biblical vision is found in the great Christian charter. And Father Cusick says Christ teaches us about holiness in the "Beatitudes" of Matthew.

Poverty and the Beatitudes

Jesus makes the daring statement that the downtrodden ones should in fact be declared blessed, i.e. fortunate. Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio's inquiring mind asks: Is Jesus endorsing indigence? What could possibly justify such a radical and apparently nonsensical conclusion?

Fr. Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B. explains that Jesus certainly does not intend to bless powerlessness as such. However, He does affirm the blessedness of those who, because they are powerless, are saved from the illusion that worldly power can in fact give them (and us) us the only truly important and lasting gifts, such as, love, happiness and life itself. And, Fr. John Foley, S. J. adds, it is also easy to see the blessedness of the types He mentions: peacemakers, mercy givers, and fairness seekers.

Fr. Joseph Pellegrino reminds us how Jesus wept over Jerusalem because he could see the destruction the actions of the people were bringing on themselves. We, in the Church today, also weep for our country over those areas that are leading the country to moral decay. And we Christians are required to speak out. Jesus came to keep justice and mercy, truth and peace together. He came to save us. And through the Beatitudes, Fr. Phil Bloom explains, we are able to see who Jesus is and how - in Him - we can have justice with mercy, truth that leads to peace.

Imagine Jesus at the Mount delivering his sermon. When he finished, do you think the people applauded? Now imagine yourself at church and your pastor just delivered a really moving sermon. Will you applaud after his homily? Share your thoughts with us.

Discovering the Faith

Does the Catholic Church demand that all her followers march along in lockstep formation in a form of unthinking blind obedience? Of course that is the charge, not only from non-Catholics but also from 'dissenting' Catholics. Fr Longenecker always found it curious when people say, "Oh, how nice for you! Now that you're a Catholic you won't have to think anymore." The good father stimulates discussion with a piece he calls "Dissent or Discovery?"

For the past three weeks, I've been receiving friendly weekly visits from a trio of well-intentioned door-to-door missionaries from the Jehovah's Witnesses. They come to talk about their faith and - without fail - we always end up talking about my Catholic faith. I admit I have come to enjoy these visits and I actually look forward to them because with each visit I see a flame of curiosity flicker inside each of them.

This past Wednesday, me and my new JW friends talked about Jesus as the Son of God. And not knowing anything about their faith, I learned they do not believe Jesus is God. Nor do they believe in the Holy Trinity. I explained that our creed tells us that Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, is “eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.” But let me bring in Mark Shea who explains how the very same question nearly tore the fourth century Church apart.

The other topic me and my Jehovah's Winesses friends are still chewing on is the Mystery of Transubstantiation. The Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist is a real stumbling block Protestants who are seriously considering Catholicism. Francis J. Beckwith explains that it was for him too, until he explored the subject, historically and scripturally. He presents a summary of his deliberations that moved his belief in the Holy Eucharist from a Stumbling Block to Cornerstone. I promise to have more stories for you next week about my newly-found JW friends - if they come around again as they promised.

Now here's one of the most common question that the leaders in your parish have frequently asked, "How can we get young people more involved in the church?" This question doesn't have a one-size-fits-all answer. But Tony Rossi features two guests he recently and talks about the suggestions they've seen work.

Plus here's some really surprising news! After a 60-year lull, New York City is experiencing a revival of religious fervor. This is being reported in a recent study released by the Manhattan-based Values Research Institute. And that's all good.

St. Paul, Social Networking and More

On the 25th of January, the church celebrated the great feast of the conversion of St. Paul. Fr. Robert Barron talks to us and explains that this celebration provides the occasion for thinking about who we are as followers of Jesus Christ.

This week from the Vatican, Pope Benedict talked about Ecumenism. He said that although Christians are still far from the unity that Jesus prayed for at the Last Supper, resignation and pessimism are signs of a lack of trust in the Holy Spirit's power. Never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit, he urges.

And in keeping with the Vatican's longtime custom on the feast this week of the patron of journalists, St Francis de Sales, we saw the release of the papal message for the 45th World Communications Day, this year's focusing on "Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age." Rocco Palmo lovingly refers to it as "The Social Network," B16 Edition. In this message, the pope said the popularity of facebookers and social networking Internet sites reflects the human desire for relationships and meaning, which is a desire that is fully met with the truth of Christ.

March for Life Monday

On January 24, the 38th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion (Roe v. Wade), hundreds of thousands - clerics and young people - celebrated Mass before participating in the annual anti-abortion march known as the March for Life. In Washington DC, and in scenes duplicated in cities across the US, arenas were packed with thousands of swaying, praying teenagers, many wearing sweat shirts from the Catholic schools they attend or knit hats that said "We believe" or "March for Life."

This comes on the heels of a report from the pro-abortion rights Alan Guttmacher Institute reports that there have been nearly 50 million abortions performed since 1973, the year the Supreme Court issued the Roe v. Wade decision ushering in legal abortion nationwide. According to Guttmacher, 35 percent of all U.S. women will have had an abortion by age 45.

Thus rightly, The U.S. bishops informed Congress this week that they are backing three bills before the House of Representatives that seek to prevent tax dollars from being used to fund abortions, and to protect the consciences of health care providers.

Purpose, The Rite & Mysteries of Parenting

From her newest post in her blog Mysteries of parenting, Judith Costello talks about the pending beatification of John Paul II and reflects on how it fills a glaring void today in our young people's MTV-filled lives for models of virtue and sacrifice. It is with great joy , she says, that we should celebrate the news that Pope John Paul II will be beatified in May! He is a true modern hero.

And here's a very very short one from Bo Sanchez. He announces that four days ago he lost his cell phone. So what, you might ask? It seems that from this seemingly insignificant accident, a valuable lesson came upon Bo: Everything Has A Purpose. Read on.

Finally, I assume you've seen its movie trailers during the past weeks on TV. This weekend marks the opening of director Mikael Hafstrom’s “The Rite”, based on journalist Matt Baglio’s 2009 book “The Rite: the Making of a Modern Exorcist.” Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP offers her movie review from a Catholic Communicator's point of view: The devil is back and he’s still mad.

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. Have a great and blessed new week.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief



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"Behold, the Lamb of God"

The poinsettias are gone, the lights are down, the Christmas season is over. Now we move on with the very beginning of Jesus’ public life, usually referred to as his ministry. We come upon John the Baptist seeing Jesus and pointing to him, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Our Discussion Questions for January 16, 2011, the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, will guide your Online Sunday Bible Study sessions with your family, friends and church groups.

These verses are the climactic conclusion of the prologue to the gospel according to John (1: 1-34). In the prologue John establishes the basic themes that will unfold in the ensuing drama of his gospel: Jesus, the Word from the beginning lives with God, is God. The Word became human and made his dwelling in our world of sin; those who accept Jesus become children of God and are at home in God.

Behold the Lamb of God

“Lamb of God.” We use that term so often, that it is easy for us to overlook the deep theology and the tremendous love of our God contained in his sending his Son to be the Lamb.

Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB explains that lambs suffer violence; they do not inflict it. Christ, as the victim who reveals God's love for us, is often symbolized by a lamb. When Peter is entrusted with the flock of the Lord, Peter, he is told to "feed" his sheep and lambs. Jesus sends his followers out into the world with no weapons, no money, no power - "like sheep among wolves."

If you want to go further, consider this: a scholar named Joachim Jeremias held that the original word for “lamb” in Aramaic (the language Jesus spoke) was “talyã’,” which meant not only “lamb” but also “slave” or “servant.” The Baptist may have intended both meanings, “Behold the Lamb of God,” but also, “Behold the servant of God.” If so, his words would be a direct quote of words from the First Reading for Sunday.

In this short Gospel of five verses, Fr. James Gilhooley says John e-mails us the message that Jesus is in this struggle for the long haul. He is going to stay around to hold us up and, if necessary, pick up the pieces.If we deny sin, we have no place for Jesus. But if we honestly recognize sin, Fr. Phil Bloom reminds us, we open ourselves to Jesus.

John the Baptist looked to Jesus and said, “There is the Lamb of God.” Fr. Joseph Pellegrino tells us that we have been called to do the same. This message is not addressed to Priests and Levites or even to disciples. Fr. Alex McAllister SDS says it is addressed to the whole of humanity because Christ’s coming into the world is of the greatest possible significance for the entire human race.

When the Holy Spirit Comes Down

What does it mean to see the Spirit come down on someone and remain? Abbot Philip Lawrence, OSB tells us that there are lots of ways in which the Spirit can come down on a person. And we must keep our eyes and our, hearts open. Each of us, like Jesus, needs to have enough personal intimacy with God to recognize, more precisely, that to which we are called. Fr. Ron Rolheiser explains this in detail.

Our belief that the same Spirit who guided Jesus also guides us has profound implications for defining the meaning of human existence. Fr. Campion P. Gavaler, O.S.B. explains that if we are transparent to the divine life, our words and actions become signs of God's loving presence in the world. And as this joy settles, college student Amy Winkler hears the Readings for Sunday as a call to service, to a way of life in which we let the light of Christ shine in our lives.

Ans so today, on this second Sunday in Ordinary Time, may our own hearts be open to see the glory of God at work in one another and to testify to God's loving presence.

Agnus Dei - Christ Truly Present in the Eucharist

As John hailed the Son of God made man in verse 29 of today’s Gospel , so we too - in the Mass after the consecration - worship the "Lamb of God." "Behold the Lamb of God! Behold him who takes away the sin of the world; blessed are those who are called to the supper of the Lamb." As we behold Christ truly present in the Eucharist, Father Cusick reminds us, we proclaim Him the Messiah with the same awe and love with which St. John uttered his proclamation as recorded in our Gospel today.

But quite often, just before communion when we recite the “Lamb of God” instead of singing it, the sad result frequently is “LammaGod-youtakeawaythesinsoftheworld--havemercyonus” One word, often void of meaning. Fr. John Foley says once you have imaged the meaning, you will crave slowing it down!

When we say or sing, “Lamb of God” we are remembering what Jesus did for us and what he has empowered us to do for others. We are remembering his sacrifice to make God’s love real on earth. We are reminding ourselves that joining Jesus in sacrificial love is the only way we can be his followers.

Liturgical Church or Bible Church?

The Protestant Church is all about the Bible; the Catholic Church is all about the Sacraments. Right? Not exactly. When it comes to personal Bible reading, Protestants often put Catholics to shame. But as far as Sunday worship goes, it is hard to find a more biblical service than the Mass. Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio points out that the Readings are awesome enough, but even the prayers of the Mass are chock full of Scripture.

The past 20 years or so have seen an explosion of conversions from Protestantism to Catholicism. During that time, a certain common narrative seems to be associated with these conversions. On the other hand, there has also been an even greater exodus out of the Catholic Church over the past 40 years. Some of that is people leaving Christianity altogether, but much of it is Catholics becoming Evangelical. Eric Sammons - a convert to Catholicism himself - looks at the the narrative for that type of conversion and explains the differences.

In last week's Burning Question, we had put up a question to the community about why it is imperative for parents to have their children baptized as infants. And an interesting exchange about Infant Baptism and the Sacraments materialized between a Protestant reader named Gary and our Theology editor Paul Dion, STL. Follow the lively discussion here.

And two weeks ago at the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas, the big buzz was for tablet computers. What we found fascinating was comparing the sales pitch for these new tablets with the one given by Apple CEO Steve Jobs last year when he announced the iPad. Here's what every Catholic can learn from Steve Jobs.

New US Lectionary & More

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has announced it has canonically approved the publication of New American Bible Revised Edition. The forthcoming fourth edition, according to the USCCB, aims at making use of the best manuscript traditions available, translating as accurately as possible, and rendering the result in good contemporary English. Check it out here.

From the Vatican, the Pope last week baptized 21 Infants and noted the challenges facing parents. Benedict XVI highlighted that the social context that Christian families face today demands collaboration from the Christian community and increasing support from parishes. He also said that there is "urgent need" for Christians to "proclaim the Gospel with their life." And noting how holiness helps in understanding the mysteries of the faith, the Pope explained Purgatory using as an example the insights gleaned by St. Catherine of Genoa.

A Brutal Weekend - the AZ Shooting & More

Every now and then the Lord just has you look at something in depth and experience it to the top. It was that sort of weekend for Msgr. Charles Pope and the Lord was clear that he wanted him to meditate deeply and experience personally the tragedy of the taking of human life. His lesson came in three stages, bannered by the senseless shooting in Tucson, AZ last Sunday.

From Denver, CA, Archbishop Charles Chaput expressed anguish over the recent Arizona shooting that left 6 dead and over a dozen wounded, noting particularly the life and deep Catholic faith of victim Judge John Roll.

Paul Dion, STL, on the other hand, offers a reflection on the immorality that can come with the reckless exercise of our right to free speech. In his opinion piece "Scandal of the Weak," He opines that no one is free to inundate the weak with speech that can influence them and cause them to act in a nefarious way. Those who persist in using speech with violent pictures cannot exculpate themselves from the effects of what they have put out into the community atmosphere under the guise of freedom of speech.

YouTube Celeb "Golden Voice" Ted Williams

His YouTube video has reportedly received more hits than Susan Boyle's initial viral video. Ted Williams was a homeless Ohio man with a golden radio voice. He had lived a seemingly hopeless life of homelessness, drugs and alcohol. And then his YouTube video went viral-crazy. Now he faces new opportunities to become a sports announcer, maybe with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Through it all, the homeless man credits God for for his new-found YouTube fame and his golden voice.

But the real hero of this story is the woman he left behind. Patricia Kirtley raised four daughters alone after Williams split 23 years ago and dove down the rabbit hole of drugs. Not only that, Kirtley took in the baby boy the radioman had with another woman and raised him as her own. Oh, and by the way, she's partially blind.

Lastly, Judith Costello gives us the latest installment to her blog "Mysteries of Parenting." In "Elevating teh Ordinary," she reflectas on simple words and ordinary gestures. Yet, these four moments in time were transformative. They reminded her that God can take the smallest offering we might make and turn it into something miraculous.

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. Have a blessed new week.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief





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CATHOLIC LIVING TODAY "Out of Egypt I called my son"

The first Sunday after Christmas is always dedicated to the Holy Family. This year it comes the very next day after Christmas Day and so perhaps we see even more clearly the link between the two celebrations. Our Discussion Questions for December 26, 2010 will guide your Online Sunday Bible Study sessions with your family, friends and church groups.

The Message of Christmas Day

The message of Christmas takes our breath away every year and continues to stagger the imagination: the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the only begotten Son of the Father, the eternal Word, our Creator, wills to clothe himself in our nature, and to become man, our brother, one of us! God himself lies in the manger, completely human, completely divine. It is an awesome reality!

Thomas Rosica, CSB says this Christmas message announces a new divine presence among us. We live in God's heart, and Christmas visibly brought among us the Son of God who cares infinitely for each of us. God did not want to live that love at a distance. But this transformation of the world and of us is not magic. It cannot happen unless we cooperate with the Word of God. You and I, Abbot Philip Lawrence, OSB reminds us, must not only listen to this Word and celebrate the birth of the Word, we must allow that Word to transform us.

Yes, our hearts call out for God - but only because he calls out for us. Fr. Phil Bloom points out that Christmas is God coming to humanity. Christmas is God becoming man so he can call us to him. Father Cusick rounds things up by giving us the customary reading for Christmas from the Roman Martyrology, often proclaimed prior to the celebration of Christmas Mass at Midnight.

Feast of the Holy Family

The Sunday gospel continues the story of the wise men from the east, who under divine guidance to pay homage to the child Jesus. Then Joseph is warned by an angel to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt because Herod plans to kill the child. The family will remain there until the Lord calls his son out of Egypt just as the people of Israel were once called out. After returning to Israel, Joseph settles his family in Nazareth.

Matthew comments that all these things are not by chance, but in fulfillment of divine providence. What we have here, Fr. Alex McAllister SDS points out, is not just a pious story about Jesus being taken to safety and returned in due time to live in a nondescript village in Palestine until he is ready to make his mission known. What we actually have is an account of a series of events which are in fact a revelation of the identity of Jesus.

Fr. Campion P. Gavaler, O.S.B. further tells us that this Sunday gospel - even if we should be close to despair - proclaims the good news: God is with us. Every moment, every event of history, even its evil dimension, is somehow transformed by God's powerful and loving care to become a part of the divine plan.

Fr. Ron Rolheiser says this story is a warning to us all against believing that we are self-sufficient, that we can have community and family on our own terms, and that we can have God without dealing with each other. Hence the truly human, genuinely Christian priority is not so much what others can do for me but rather what I can do for others. Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB says preoccupation with self must be set aside as we cast ourselves in the role of servant rather than served. Serving and selflessness are at the core of authentic family life.

The Holy Family is the Ideal Family

If you are part of a family, you too must take great care today. The family unit is in peril, chased down and slain by the Herods of modern culture. On this, the feast of the Holy Family, it makes sense to ask: what makes a man a real man, what makes a woman a real woman? And we can add, what makes a child, a real child? Fr. Joseph Pellegrino states that the answers are found if we look at the Holy Family.

We all want to be part of the great web of love that is God’s presence on earth. Fr. John Foley, S. J. says it is played out in the foibles and fun of ordinary family life. God is there. College student Lauren Butler points out that Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus set an example for us in the way we are to gather as a family who loves and praises God.

Today, therefore, we ask the Lord to help husbands be real men, men who protect, provide and unite their families to God. We pray that wives be real women, women who nurture, sacrifice and are the heart of their families. And we pray that young people may take the steps they need to take away from self absorption and into the reality of Christian life so that when their time comes, they may form Holy Families, families that raise children of God.

Do we really need Christmas?

Is Christmas becoming obsolete? Here are a few illustrations. In some places, Christmas midnight mass is becoming too dangerous -- or too disruptive. Is this a tradition that is about to disappear? Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas laments how the success of Christmas is now measured by sales figures from retail stores and online. The Christmas season no longer begins with the First Sunday of Advent, it begins with Black Friday. So, do we really need Christmas? The good bishop says the answer is Yes.

Christmas is much more than the season of Santa Claus and sugar plums. Pope Benedict reminds us that Christmas is not a fairy tale for children. It is God's answer to mankind's yearning for peace, says Benedict XVI. He calls all the faithful to "let ourselves be amazed" by the "Star that inundated the universe with joy." Let us be amazed, he exhorts us, and purify our lives of everything that is contrary to Jesus Christ.

The Deeper Meaning of Christmas

There are many paradoxes and seeming impossibilities in the incarnation. As mysteries they cannot be fully solved, so they claim our reverence. We genuflected in the past, and we bow today at the mention of the incarnation in the creed for it is a deep mystery. As we approach Christmas, Msgr. Charles Pope offers us a list of some of the paradoxes of Christmas. Try and spend a moment to reflect upon each one of them.

“Peace on Earth, Good will towards men.” True peace can never be forged by steel, Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio explains, but only by love. It is the humble babe in the manger, not Caesar in his chariot, who is the real prince of peace.

Giving Gifts & Celebrations

So what do we do with America’s gift-giving extravaganza at Christmas? What is your gifting philosophy. Is it a present a gift or is it a donation?

It is after all It’s Jesus’ birthday. But the presents under the tree are the real focus, especially for the kids. The first is unwrapped and then another and another, faster and faster. It resembles a school of sharks going into a feeding frenzy. Almost instantly the thrill is gone. Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio suggests that we should set rules to make them more meaningful. He calls it the Catholic approach to gift-giving.

But Fr. Peter deSousa offers an alternative approach. Make this Christmas a time of celebrating our love as a family and sharing that love with some who are lonely, suffering or in need. What are we willing to sacrifice this Christmas in our family so that we may reach out to our spouse, children, parents, siblings, relatives, neighbors and those who serve us and help us?

And what about that tree? What's the point of a Christmas tree? Does it really have anything to do with Christmas? Pope Benedicts explains, "With its loftiness, its green [color] and the lights in its branches, the Christmas tree is a symbol of life that points to the mystery of Christmas Eve." The Pope says our traditional tree is a symbol of life and hope.

A Christmas Story at the Mall & More

Here's one that's been making the rounds since the early days of the internet. And it still moves me every time I read it. I know this story of the child and the shopping mall Santa Claus who played Christmas angel will touch your heart as well. Enjoy it - again and again.

'Do You Hear What I Hear?' It's a song you've probably heard many times throughout this Christmas season. Many people mistakenly assume this Christmas classic has been around for years and that it is of European origin. But it was written in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis as a powerful plea for peace by a man who had experienced the horrors of war. The song’s message of peace is as desperately needed today as it was then. Here is a live version by Carrie Underwood.

And then we bring your Judith costello's latest article, "The Handmaid’s Story." St. Bernard once wrote a homily as if he were talking to Mary who had just heard from the angel Gabriel. The gospel says, “Mary was greatly troubled by his words (of praise for her.)” Here is Judith's version. And she starts with "Dear Mary."

Favorite Christmas Movies

There’s nothing quite like this wonderful time of year to gather round with the family and sit by the warming roar of a television set. Christmas has inspired some of the finest cinematic classics – as well as things like Jingle All the Way. So as my Christmas treat to you all, here’s Paul Zummo's list of the five best Christmas movies of all-time.

And of course there is no more beloved Christmastime flick than the manly classic, Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life. "Manly” is not a word typically associated with the film, especially given the fact that more than one man will find himself teary eyed and avoiding eye contact with his wife at its conclusion. But the film has a good deal to teach us about being a man, the right kind of man. So in the spirit of quality Christmas movies, I offer you men a quick guide to manliness, as taught by It’s a Wonderful Life.

Another eventful week in our Catholic world. Have a merry Chruistmas. Happy birthday, Jesus.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief





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"Blessed are you among women"

Your faith-filled crew at ParishWorld.net is taking a one week break from producing your Sunday homiletics email magazine this week. We apologize for any inconvenience but we promise to be back in full force and fully energized next week with your usual full edition of Catholic Living Today. In the meantime, allow us to share with you a series of reflections on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary which we celebrated yesterday, August 15.

Feast of the Assumption

Of all the women who have ever lived, the mother of Jesus Christ is the most renowned, celebrated, venerated, and honored. Millions of newborn babies have been given the name of Mary, along with countless churches, shrines, and holy places.

But while the dogma of the Assumption is a relatively new declaration by the Church, made by Pope Pius XXII in 1950, the belief in the Assumption is one of the oldest and first beliefs in the Church regarding Mary. It is celebrated each year on August 15. Dr. Marcellino d'Ambrosio explains this feast and why the Catholic Church observes it as a holy day of obligation.

Until about 500 years ago, the Church was unified in its belief and devotion to the Blessed Mother. And believe it or not, even the founders of the Protestant Reformation movement held deep devotions to the Virgin Mary before they decided to take her away from many Christians. And so today, the mere mention our Blessed Mother to our Protestant brothers and sister brings about what Mark Shea refers to as Mariaphobic Response Syndrome. He offers some solid suggestions on how to deal with the deep fears Evangelicals still have today about the Blessed Virgin Mary.

"Blessed are you among women"

Mary is a unique creature, the highest of all creatures. This is not just because she was born without the handicap of original sin. Eve and Adam were born free of sin as well, but it did not stop them from sinning as soon as they had the chance. Mary instead chose, with the help of God’s grace, to preserve her God-given purity throughout the whole of her life.

Father Cusick explains that this gift of God - her glorious Assumption into heaven - is the fulfillment of His grace in her. She goes before us to intercede with her Son that we may join her in praising Him, the Father and the Holy Spirit forever in heaven. The Assumption therefore is not a mythical statement of fancy. It salutes God's trust and openness in Mary. Her assumption into heaven, Fr. John Foley, S. J. points out, is an acknowledgment of how close the Blessed Mother had been to Jesus all life long, and especially in his death.

Mary has thus been given the highest place among all of creation. And it is she, a woman, who ranks highest in the most important hierarchy: the hierarchy of holiness. This feast is therefore a day of joy. God has won. Fr. Orlando Sapuay, M.S. says it is proof that love has won. It has won life. Love has shown that it is stronger than death, that God possesses the true strength and that his strength is goodness and love. It is important because it provides us with an opportunity to reaffirm our faith in God's promises. Fr. Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B. reminds us that it is proof that God really does intend to "lift up the lowly" and to "fill the hungry with good things."

In Mary, Humanity and Divinity Are at Home

Throughout Christian history it has become quite clear that those who seek Mary’s love and care find something that only a Holy Mother can give. Try as the worldly may, they cannot rid us of Mary’s holy presence, a presence that always, truly, and surely, gives us the presence of God and the sanctity of human life that comes to us in her Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

So is Marian devotion necessary in Christian life? What is true devotion to Mary according to the fathers of the Second Vatican Council? It's not sentimental piety or gullible preoccupation with every rumored apparition, according to Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio. But rather, it's the imitation of her virtues, particularly her faith. And for this reason, Fr. Phil Bloom confesses his love for this beautiful woman - the Blessed Virgin Mary - not as a projection of the qualities of women he has admired. No, he says he loves her as a real person, someone who walked this earth and knows the kind of struggles real people face.

So, does our Church's dogma of the Assumption have meaning for you and for me? You bet your life it does, exclaims Fr. Charles Irvin! The Assumption of Mary, is a consoling sign of our hope. In looking to her, Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB says we are carried up amid the rejoicing of angels, human life is opened to the perspective of eternal happiness. Our own death is not the end but rather the entrance into life that knows no death.
So we pray to our Mother in Heaven. Fr. Joseph Pellegrino explains that we don’t worship Mary. But we do pray to her. We say the Rosary meditating on the mysteries of her Son and we ask Mary to pray for us sinners. We recognize that it is Jesus’s life and power that saves us, but we also recognize that Mary was given to us at the foot of the cross as our mother. We call upon her to pray to her son, Jesus, to extend the various manifestations of His Love to us.

Sexuality, Creativity and Theology of the Body

Mary’s question to the Angel, Gabriel, at the time of the Annunciation, is more than a simple query in biology: “How can this be since I am a virgin?” Fr. Ron Rolheiser points out that her question is indeed a good one, a deep one: “From what source can this life spring, given the limited way that I am living out my sexuality?”

And ultimately everyone asks Mary’s question: “How can I truly bring forth new life, given that I can’t sleep with the whole world?” How should we live so that our sexuality properly fuels our creativity? Fr. Ron Rolheiser suspects that the answer will involve three things: a certain grieving, a certain mysticism, and a certain trust. To complement this discussion, Cardinal Rigali at a 2010 convention in on Theology of the Body affirmed the importance of John Paul II's teaching on human sexuality. Why all the hype? He explains what it means.


Prayer, Gestures of Worship & More

Fr. John Bartunek, LC anwers a practical question from a housewife who finds herself too busy juggling both home and career. It's a question we all have asked ourselves at one time or another: Can a Busy Life Be Prayerful? The good father offers some really sound advice. And Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. offers another reflection on "Why Humility Opens Doors." He says that in order to understand why the humble get ahead and why the meek shall inherit the earth, we need to be sure that we understand what humility and meekness really are.

Helen Hull Hitchcock laments how the vocabulary of ritual gestures Catholics make during worship is by now, quite clearly, endangered — as has happened with other unwritten languages. As there are relatively few explicit rules (and even these are often not followed), little uniformity of practice, and considerable confusion, she says it seems worthwhile to compile a sort of “dictionary” of ritual gestures, their meaning and grammar, in order to relearn our historic language of ritual worship. Check out her well-documented piece: Gestures of Worship, Re-learning Our Ritual Language.

And here's "8 Tips for Catholic Men" by Randy Hain. In a conversation with other Catholic men, he confirmed that we all struggle to break out of repetitive sinful behaviors and avoid self-created obstacles to drawing closer to Christ. So where do we slip up? Why do we fall short? He offers some useful insight which will help Catholic men (and women) take the necessary steps to overcome these self-created challenges.

Stoplights, a Botched robbery & Living Longer

A woman was in the news a few years for stopping a robbery by preaching about Jesus. She decided to preach faith in Jesus Christ as a better way for the would-be robber and she succeeded (or should we say God succeeded) in preventing a robbery. Check out this story.

Here's one we've all seen before: those lone, scruffy figures at intersections and freeway underpasses holding bent cardboard signs, asking for a handout. Their faces are as cracked and blistered as the sidewalk. In "What I Learned at the Stoplight," Marion Fernandez-Cueto talks about how opening your hands can open your heart.

Finally, here's a list of six daily habits for living longer. Whatever your daily habits are, there’s no denying that they impact your health. Even though the things we do as part of our daily routines might seem small, over time the small things can add up. So, by keeping your daily habits healthy, you can literally add years to your life. Great simple tips for us all.

Another eventful week in our Catholic world. Have a great and blessed new week.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief

BURNING QUESTION: Do Catholics "worship" the Virgin Mary?
FEATURED BLOG: Relearning Our Catholic Ritual Language
PASTORAL HISPANA: El triunfo de Maria es el nuestro tambien

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"You also must be prepared"

Most people in the US say they “believe in” God. Our Sunday Readings for August 8, 2010 invite us to get a better handle on the true nature of Christian faith, which entails much more than just believing that God exists. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study sessions with your family, friends and church groups.

What is Faith?

This Sunday’s Readings begins with a wonderful definition of faith by St. Paul in his Letter to the Hebrews: “Faith is the confident assurance concerning what we hope for and the conviction about the things we do not see.” He was not just talking about dogma or definitions of various items in our belief system. He was talking about lifestyle. The lives of people of faith reflect their whole value system, their whole system of life.

But it simply not enough that we believe. We need to have faith. Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio explains that while belief in God is rather widespread - over 90% of Americans “believe in God” - belief and faith are not quite the same thing. Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB chimes in with a recollection of the important words of Cardinal John Henry Newman in one of his homilies on this text from Hebrews: "It is one thing, then, to have faith, another thing to receive the promise through faith. Faith does not involve in itself the receipt of the promise."

With these in mind, we invite you to reflect upon our Burning Question this week: What is Faith? Please share your deepest thoughts with us. Fr. Joseph Pellegrino adds to the discussion with his exhortation that we have to believe. We cannot give up. It is so easy for us to choose actions that do not reflect our faith and then claim that God really is not concerned with what we have done. When we do this we are denying that we have a personal relationship with God. We have to stay faithful even if the entire world gives in to greed and disregard for others. Remember God’s trust in you. Remember love. Give your trust in return. And this, Fr. John Foley, S. J. points out is one of the most difficult problems for many of us today. Can you risk it?

And when God withholds consolations, Fr. Orlando Sapuay, M.S. explains, He is purifying us of the subtle attachment to our feelings, so that our faith can grow and mature. To become mature Christians, therefore, we must learn more and more to “walk by faith, not by sight.”

This was one message that struck close to home for me and my family when tragedy struck in my home city of Moreno Valley, CA last week. Our collective faith was put to the test when one of our own, seventeen year old named Norma Lopez , was abducted and killed while walking home from our local high school. Paul Dion reflects on the tragedy and points out how this incident has brought out our community together and shows how faith and love can triumph over hate and tragedy. Meanwhile St. Louis University student David Haughney tells how he found faith abounding while spending a week with Habitat for Humanity in Georgetown, South Carolina. Through faith and service, he said, we should all try to live up to the expectations of our blessings.

Hour Least Expected

Be prepared. Fr. Phil Bloom tells us that this is the other message we are to take away from the Sunday Readings. Do not be lulled into thinking there is no hurry. The time of reckoning will come when you least expect it.

Fr. Charles Irvin says it also brings out the big questions we face today and in all of the days of our lives. What awaits us when we die? Is what’s in front of us determined by what we did or didn’t do in this life? And Fr. Ron Rolheiser raises even more questions. How do we live so that death does not catch us unaware? What do we do so that we don’t leave this world with too much unfinished business? He says we prepare to die by pushing ourselves to love less narrowly. In that sense, readying ourselves for death is really an ever-widening entry into life.

But, as Father Cusick advises us, we need never live in fear. Delightful and consoling words are communicated to us in the Gospel. Do not live in fear, little flock. The Lord desires that we be preserved from the fear that threatens to separate us from Him and His salvation. We simply need to be vigilant. And that means keeping Jesus and his teaching constantly before our eyes.

While Jesus warned His disciples to "watch and pray" in Gathsemane, Fr. Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B. points out, He could just as easily have said, "Watch, that is, pray." For it is only our prayerful remembrance of God's presence among us and of the promise of the kingdom that will protect us from the fateful distractions that lead us to live by the world's standards and to be found unprepared when the Lord comes for us.

Protestants, Atheists & Catholic Evangelization

Just last week, Benedict XVI underscored the importance of the Eucharist as a "treasure whose value cannot be measured." Illustrating a young third century martyr's dedication to the Body of Christ, he exhorted the tens of thousands of altar servers present at the audience to also give their lives in service to the Lord. It was a true call to evangelization and sainthood. This is complimented by a powerful list shared by Taylor Marshall: Maxims for the Direction of a Soul that Desires to Obtain Perfection in the Love of Jesus Christ by Saint Alphonsus Liguori. Print out these "50 Maxims" and paste them next to your mirror so that you read a few every day.

Joe Carter, a former Protestant, also offers an interesting look the evangelization practices of our Protestant brothers and sisters. He says Evangelism isn’t a form of Multi-Level Marketing and the “Good News” isn’t an Amway product. He finds it odd that so much evangelism appears to be about selling Jesus and hoping that you can convince the unsaved heathen to buy into salvation. Good news doesn’t have to be sold, he asserts. Bad news has to be sold, but not good news. And Fr. Longenecker relates that when a Protestant who is considering the Catholic Church calls him for advice, the conversation handily goes back to some recurring difficulties. So he shares here a list of the commandments he developed for converts. It's quite an interesting list.

From Protestants to Atheists, Fr. John Flynn, LC relates that to many of the new atheists who have vociferously attacked God and religion in the last few years, Religion is not only mad, but also bad, a propagator of division, hate and violence. He points out however that it is the Judeo-Christian tradition that has been the West's most effective curb on the dangerous tendencies in human nature that can propitiate violence.

For the Vacationers and the Job-hunters

Pastors from all religions are some of the most stressed people in the work force. Public health experts caution that there is no simple explanation of why so many members of a profession once associated with rosy-cheeked longevity have become so unhealthy and unhappy. But there is one simple remedy that has long been a touchy subject with many clerics - taking more time off. And in this regard, it seems Catholic priests are ahead of the stress curve. In his reflection, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan says vacations can be occassions of grace. He recommends that Jesus be part of our vacation, too. Thinking of Him, listening to Him, speaking to Him — all in prayer — would be a great vacation resolution.

And as the relentless squeezing of the middle class persists, any one of us can suddenly find ourselves out of work affecting both ego and spirit. But we can always find recourse and hope in prayer. Prayer has power. When everything is falling apart, prayer holds. If you are looking for work, we ask you to use this prayer tool: A Rosary Reflection for the Job-seeker. Once again, we find that the Mysteries of the Rosary help us to identify with Christ, and join our sufferings to His, that all may be One.

This Friday, August 6, will see the Feast of the Transfiguration celebrated in the Church. August 6 is also an important date in world history: the fateful day on which the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in Japan. But in the midst of this terrible carnage, something quite remarkable happened: the remarkable survival of a small community of priests living well within the radius of total devastation. The story of the Jesuit Fathers in Hiroshima has echoes in the Bible and in the story of Fatima.

One Unbelieving Sheriff, Star Trek Devices & the Best Family Films

Meet Jesse Romero, a Deputy for the Lord. Just over a decade ago, an injury forced him to retire early from his job as a Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy, a career he loved. It freed him up, however, for full-time work as a lay Catholic evangelist, a career in which he has found even greater rewards. While young mother Arwen Mosher talks about how pretty easy it feels for her to be a good mother to baby infants because they have simple needs. They don’t disobey, and you can build the parent-child relationship just by holding them on your lap. Older kids, on the other hand, are complicated. How do you love them as they grow? Will she continue to love her children more and more? Will the top of her head actually fly off one of these days?

And just what are the greatest family film of all time? Respondents polled for a recent Radio Times magazine survey ranked Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial as the best, with The Wizard of Oz in the runner-up spot. Blogger Steven D. Greydanus, however took a different approach to picking his list. Rather than quibble about the ranking of films in the Radio times survey, he took issue with the inclusion of movies he thinks doesn’t deserve to be on such a list at all—and talks about movies he would rather see there instead.

Finally, here's one for all you Trekkies out there - it's the Top 10 "Star Trek" technologies that actually came true. The truth is, you can forget about a transporter. No one has been able to realize such a concept. But that doesn't mean some of the ideas that seemed far-fetched when the show debuted in 1966 haven't become a reality. In this article, we feature the top 10 technologies from Star Trek that actually did come to fruition. And some of them may surprise you.

Another eventful week in our Catholic world. Have a great and blessed new week.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief

BURNING QUESTION: What is Faith?
FEATURED BLOGS: Selling Jesus like a Chevy
PRIEST STORIES: Taking a Break From the Lord’s Work
PASTORAL HISPANA: Los cristianos solo somos peregrinos

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